Renting in England
Renting in Brighton and Hove
The average private rent in Brighton and Hove is £1,816 a month (Office for National Statistics, September 2026), -0.8% on a year earlier, and £350 more than the England average of £1,466. Below: rents by bedrooms, what you need to earn and have saved to move in, and the local rules worth knowing before you sign.
England · Figures for September 2026, published 21 October 2026
- Average rent
- £1,816 a month
- ONS, September 2026
- In the last year
- -0.8%
- England +4.0%
- Against England
- £350 more
- England average £1,466
- Most expensive councils
- 33rd of 294
- by average rent
What stands out in Brighton and Hove
- Rents in Brighton and Hove have fallen 0.8% in the latest year, after rising 4.7% the year before.
- Since September 2021 the average rent here has gone from £1,440 to £1,816, a rise of 26.1%: less than the 34.8% rise across England.
- It has the 4th highest average rent of the 64 councils in the South East.
- It is dearer to rent in than any of the 6 councils nearest to it.
- Housing benefit and Universal Credit pay at most £1,200 a month towards a two-bedroom home here (Local Housing Allowance, Brighton and Hove): 79% of the average two-bedroom rent, £325 a month short. The allowance is set below the average on purpose, at the level three in ten local rents fell below in 2023, and has been frozen since April 2024.
- A second bedroom adds about £331 a month to the average rent here (£1,194 for one bedroom, £1,525 for two), against £142 across England.
Average rent in Brighton and Hove
Monthly averages for private rented homes across Brighton and Hove, against England as a whole.
| Home | Brighton and Hove | England |
|---|---|---|
| 1 bedroom | £1,194 | £1,199 |
| 2 bedrooms | £1,525 | £1,341 |
| 3 bedrooms | £1,806 | £1,497 |
| 4 or more bedrooms | £2,489 | £2,170 |
| Home | Brighton and Hove | England |
|---|---|---|
| Flat or maisonette | £1,386 | £1,449 |
| Terraced house | £1,995 | £1,443 |
| Semi-detached house | £2,033 | £1,458 |
| Detached house | £2,230 | £1,649 |
These averages include tenants who moved in years ago, whose rent hasn’t kept up with the market, so a home advertised in Brighton and Hove today will usually ask more. To judge a rent you’ve been quoted, compare it with similar homes advertised near the address. How to check a rent or look up the average rent for a Brighton and Hove postcode.
Brighton and Hove and the councils around it
If you can live a little further out, the average rent changes quickly across a council boundary.
| Council | Average rent | Against Brighton and Hove | In a year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brighton and Hove | £1,816 | — | |
| Horsham | £1,490 | £326 less | |
| Mid Sussex | £1,436 | £380 less | |
| Adur | £1,416 | £400 less | |
| Lewes | £1,343 | £473 less | |
| Worthing | £1,300 | £516 less | |
| Wealden | £1,266 | £550 less |
What you need to earn, and to have saved
At Brighton and Hove’s average rents. Most letting agents look for a yearly income before tax of about 30 times the monthly rent. Upfront, the law caps the holding deposit at a week’s rent and the tenancy deposit at five weeks’ rent; most landlords also ask for the first month in advance.
| Home | Average rent | Income agents look for | Most deposit allowed | First month and deposit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 bedroom | £1,194 | £35,820 a year | £1,377 | £2,571 |
| 2 bedrooms | £1,525 | £45,750 a year | £1,759 | £3,284 |
| 3 bedrooms | £1,806 | £54,180 a year | £2,083 | £3,889 |
| 4 or more bedrooms | £2,489 | £74,670 a year | £2,871 | £5,360 |
Anything else, such as fees for viewings, referencing or admin, is banned. Work out the limits for your own rent or see how much rent you can afford. On Universal Credit or Housing Benefit? Find the Local Housing Allowance rate for a Brighton and Hove postcode, which caps the help you can get with the rent.
Landlord licensing in Brighton and Hove
On top of the national licence for larger shared homes, Brighton & Hove City Council requires landlords to license some other rented homes. If a home should be licensed and isn’t, the tenant can claim back up to two years’ rent through a rent repayment order, for an offence from 1 May 2026.
Brighton & Hove selective licensing 2024
Selective licensing: homes let to one household · In force until 1 September 2029
Covers these wards: Kemptown, Moulsecoomb & Bevendean, Queen's Park, Whitehawk & Marina.
Brighton & Hove additional HMO licensing 2024
Additional licensing: smaller shared homes · In force until 30 June 2029
Covers the whole of Brighton and Hove.
Whether a home needs a licence depends on its exact address. Check a Brighton and Hove postcode or read Brighton & Hove City Council’s licensing pages. Checked 18 October 2026.
The landlord database in Brighton and Hove
England’s new database of private landlords is opening region by region. Brighton and Hove is in the South East, where landlords can register from 15 March 2027 and must have registered by 14 June 2027, under the draft rollout. The South East dates.
Check a home in Brighton and Hove
Found a place? The free check covers its energy rating, flood risk, crime nearby and past sales, in about a minute. Add the rent to see the most you can be asked for upfront.
Questions about renting in Brighton and Hove
What is the average rent in Brighton and Hove?
£1,816 a month across all private rented homes in Brighton and Hove, according to the Office for National Statistics for September 2026. A one-bedroom home averages £1,194. That average includes tenants who moved in years ago, so homes advertised today usually ask more.
How much do I need to earn to rent in Brighton and Hove?
Most letting agents want a yearly income before tax of about 30 times the monthly rent. At Brighton and Hove’s average of £1,816, that is £54,480 a year between the tenants, or £35,820 for an average one-bedroom home. It is a convention, not a law, so an agent can set its own figure.
How much deposit can a Brighton and Hove landlord ask for?
No more than five weeks’ rent while the rent is under £50,000 a year, under the Tenant Fees Act 2019. On Brighton and Hove’s average rent that is about £2,095, and a holding deposit is capped at one week’s rent, about £419. The deposit must be protected in a government-approved scheme within 30 days.
Is Brighton and Hove expensive to rent in?
The average rent in Brighton and Hove, £1,816 a month, is £350 more than the England average of £1,466. That makes it the 33rd most expensive of 294 councils. The most popular areas cost more than the council-wide figure, so compare a quoted rent with homes advertised nearby.
Are rents going up in Brighton and Hove?
The average rent in Brighton and Hove was -0.8% on a year earlier in September 2026, against +4.0% across England. A landlord can raise the rent on a periodic tenancy only once a year, using a section 13 notice.
Does my Brighton and Hove landlord need a licence?
Possibly. Brighton & Hove City Council runs a selective licensing scheme covering parts of the area, and additional licensing for smaller shared homes. Whether a home is covered depends on its exact address, so check the postcode.
When does the landlord database start in Brighton and Hove?
Brighton and Hove is in the South East. Under the draft rollout, landlords there can register from 15 March 2027 and must have registered every home they let by 14 June 2027. The dates are in draft regulations and could change.
Renting in other cities
Sources: ONS Price Index of Private Rents, September 2026, published 21 October 2026; Tenant Fees Act 2019; Brighton & Hove City Council. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.